


An Interlude For The Vortalas.

by Lanna Michaels (lannamichaels)



Series: Petya 'verse - All Petya Vorkosigan Fics [17]
Category: Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
Genre: Alternate Universe, Lord Midnight The Horse Does Not Approve This Message, Prime Minister Count Vortala Approves This Message, Shameless Self-Indulgence, Time Period: Reign of Gregor Vorbarra
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-14
Updated: 2010-12-14
Packaged: 2017-10-13 16:28:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/139324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lannamichaels/pseuds/Lanna%20Michaels
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Of horse counts and otherwise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Interlude For The Vortalas.

**Author's Note:**

> A bit of shameless self-indulgence that also, um... just got me over the 100K words posted wordcount mark for this 'verse. o.O

To hear Tim Vorinnis tell it, Maxim'd flung himself at Petya Vorkosigan like a man looking for any port in a storm and suddenly finding paradise, so it's not anyone's fault it didn't last. Arthur Vorinnis takes a more sober tone, talking about social changes and cultural stresses, and points out that neither Petya nor Maxim had been blameless; there'd been some mutual imprinting going on, with both of them being enamored of the idea of each other. And Petya being overjoyed that there was someone of suitable rank and age who shared his preferences and also found him attractive and wasn't scared off by his imposing relatives or his imposing self. And Maxim, well, Alexei knows why Maxim had focused on Petya, he doesn't need the Vorinnises to brief him about how brightly Petya shines to Vor lords with his preferences and without his ability to choose not to marry. They were natural allies. They were even more naturally lovers. And then it even more naturally did not last, is that well understood, Colonel?

And all this because Alexei'd returned home from a brief stint on Komarr (no, nothing to be worried about, Ma, just some Vor thing, I barely had to put my uniform on) to find out that, in his time away, Petya Bloody Vorkosigan decided to chew up Alexei's favorite cousin. Maxim still has stars in his eyes over it, though, so Alexei can't bring himself to be too annoyed at Petya for it.

It hadn't imploded spectacularly, is what the Vorinnises are trying to tell him before they let him loose into the rest of the dinner party, where Petya is being charming and Maxim is still partially swooning over him. So don't get too ImpSec at the Minister of Galactic Affairs. The Vorinnises insistently do not want any kind of spyish rivalry sniping to break out over drinks. Not when it could hurt Maxim's cause. So don't get too annoyed at one Count's heir potentially breaking another Count's heir's heart and stomping all over it and then being serenely Vorkosigan about the aftermath.

And Maxim's not confirmed as a Count's heir, yet. That's the whole point of tonight, to get Maxim some outside support. Tim's hosting this, so there's the Vorinnis support. And Petya holds the Vorkosigan vote, and he's chatting with Arina Vorparadijs, so there's the Vorhalas vote confirmed right there, since Count Vorhalas is generally annoyed with all the Vortalas equally, so if Arina's in favor, she'll be able to get her father to come around.

Although this is all getting a bit ahead of itself, because Maxim isn't even the Count's choice yet. Yet. He's pretty much the choice by acclamation, but he hasn't been confirmed formally yet. And it's not entirely just a formality. There are strict rules about it.

Most of the forms have been satisfied, of course, because it's not like Maxim hasn't been working towards this goal since he was about fifteen, working towards becoming a Vortala heir and not just a Vortala cousin. It's all quite clear that if you want to be a Count Vortala, you're going to have to earn it. Other Counts just give it away to whichever relative they please, but when one of your ancestors decided to give it all to a horse, well, family honor requires that you make sure that never happens again. After he'd finally inherited after the mess, Seb had made it clear that either you could have sons or you could be the next Count, and then he'd put down even more rules beyond that to make damn sure the Vortalas were never that kind of laughing stock of Barrayar again.

It'd had the unintended, but obvious in hindsight, result of making Vortala family politics teeter on the edge, say it softly, inappropriate behavior, and it's nowhere near soft enough right now to continue the accusation from there, it's filthy and slanderous. But Alexei could cheerfully talk forever about the Barrayaran system, with its seventy-five votes and the absolute Imperial veto, and neglect to mention that, considering the way some of his cousins are spawning children, a Vortala family acclamation vote over the next Count's heir could be even more complicated than that. Because the Count's absolute authority to choose his own heir... well, the old Prime Minister Count Uncle Anton might have been able to try. Try. There was no way he could have used it and made it stick. And it's been coming on eleven years since the old man finally died, and if Count Cousin Stanislav is even aware that Imperial law on Countship succession does allow him to insist on his own choice, he hasn't tried. Which probably goes a long way in explaining how it's coming on eleven years and there's still no Count's heir yet. It's practically Vorrutyer, the way they're carrying on about it.

Which is, for the most part, why Alexei just casts his vote with Istvan's line, which puts him on Maxim's side. It's all a bit complicated and he doesn't care to explain it, which is why when the Vorinnises asked him to this party to show that the Vortalas have finally come to an agreement on who they'll be fielding as their next Count, Alexei had said he'd needed to check with the Count to make sure the Vortalas actually had, for the most part, albeit unofficially, come to an agreement.

A Vortala family agreement is what other people might call a cease-fire treaty, certain dry wits have been known to point out.

Which is why, for the most part, Vortala family politics aren't anything Alexei is in the mood to discuss with anyone.

But he's here tonight, in House uniform no less, to support his cousin's bid to be Count to whoever the Vorinnises have decided need to be among Maxim's base in case this vote gets messy. There's a good enough chance it won't, but things have been heating up in the more politically minded social gatherings recently, with Gregor still not married and Petya Vorkosigan back on planet permanently.

And Petya and Maxim were just publicly courting, and Maxim may or may not be in the middle of being set up to be a Vorkosigan puppet vote, like the Vorinnises and the Vorbrettens. Which would, of course, be a strictly non-inner-Vortala-politics complication, considering that the family is still in its post-Prime-Ministership interdiction of never voting against the current Prime Minister, and even though Aral Vorkosigan isn't technically the Prime Minister anymore, Raul Racozy is going to need at least another two years before he stops being Aral's pet prodigy protege and learns how to stand on his own feet and buck Vorkosigan pressure. That is, if Gregor ever lets him.

He probably won't. Don't ever say it out loud, but it's anyone's guess if Gregor's the most powerful Vorkosigan puppet vote of them all, or if Gregor's managed to finally flip it around and start telling the Vorkosigans how to push their weight around. Although if Gregor hasn't done it by now or managed to slip it in when he was replacing Aral Vorkosigan leaning over his shoulder with Petya Vorkosigan poking his head through the door, he's never going to.

Alexei smiles a little to himself, imagining Count Cousin Stanislav's reaction to the very idea of Alexei contemplating these kinds of things. But Alexei's an ImpSec Colonel. They pay him to think about things like this. And then make sure they don't happen. Not that the Vorkosigans are half as scandal-prone as they used to be, although Miles Vorkosigan does have that high treason habit that's hopefully finally been checked. On the other hand, Miles Vorkosigan can demonstrably get away with treason. Repeatedly. Alexei would wonder if Gregor really thought that one through, because that's a terrible precedent to set, but, no, Alexei's not nearly that senior in ImpSec. That's an Illyan problem, thankfully. That is never going to be his.

Alexei amuses himself, looking around the room and sipping a drink, by counting all the various conspiracy theories that have crossed his desk this week.

"There you are," Maxim says. "I was wondering if Timmy was ever going to let you go."

"It took him a while to reassure himself that I have been adequately briefed on my role tonight," Alexei says. "And it's not to ask you what you thought you were doing with Piotr Vorkosigan."

Maxim smiles. Probably at some happy Petya-related memory, rather than particularly at Alexei. "Enjoying the amazing lack of scandal."

"Relative lack of scandal," Alexei says. "You should see some of the things Domestic Affairs is picking up. And that's without getting into the way people are laughing at me." And all because Alexei had been so sure that Petya was, after all these years, finally going to shock everyone and publicly take up with a prole. Why else was Petya having Alexei pass along messages if he didn't have plans? Whatever Petya's timetable on that was, Alexei sulks, it wasn't bloody well fast enough. And it shouldn't have run through Alexei's cousin. That's playing dirty.

"Amazing lack of scandal to my face, then," Maxim says. "And Irina's been getting a lot of public sympathy."

"A Vorkosigan offered you sex," Alexei mutters. "Of course your hormones wouldn't let you say no."

"We've been very clear," Maxim says firmly, "that it started after the divorce. Petya wasn't even on planet when we were going through it. It was all proper, when I took up with him. It was a very proper choice for both of us, if you think about it from a purely political standpoint. Petya has impeccable rank and he can't help being a Vorkosigan. It was a very suitable choice. Our courtship, in the end, was exceedingly brief, but that does not mean that it was a mistake."

"I didn't say it was a mistake," Alexei says. "I just asked if you knew what you were doing."

"Courting him," Maxim says. "I know you understand the basic concept. We were both quite serious about it."

Wow. It's like Maxim's never even paid attention to Petya's reputation. Or his track record. If Petya's heir gets himself killed again, to hell with whoever Petya is sleeping with, he's going to find himself the first lady of appropriate rank and a uterine replicator. The day Petya swears any kind of oath of fidelity and honor that won't by its very nature involve giving him heirs will probably be the day _after_ Lord Miles decants a son. Or two. Or maybe three, with Gregor having had a few first.

"If you're looking for a safe, long-term option," Alexei says, "you should have just asked me. I could give you a list of men of similar temperament who are actually capable of functional long-term relationships. And Piotr Vorkosigan isn't on that list."

"I just got out of a long-term relationship," Maxim frowns. "That's... can you imagine _that_ scandal? A fling with a Vorkosigan, that's acceptable. A very enjoyable fling with a Vorkosigan... well, that's not anyone's business how enjoyable it was to either of us, not even ImpSec's, so don't even think about asking. But it's not like I could... he's a Count's heir, and I'm nearly one. It would be highly inappropriate for us to conduct any sort of long-term relationship. Publicly, that is, and with me being me and him being him, nothing private would remain private for any length of time. We were clear that this would be short-term entirely. The courtship gives it structure, makes it proper and Vorish and acceptable. It was just... somewhat shorter than I think either of us originally intended. But I didn't go into it with any long-term goals for the relationship other than to make sure our friendship survived after the courtship had ended."

"Oh, good, you didn't hit your head on something," Alexei says, relieved. "I was worrying. Political stupidity does not become you."

Maxim rolls his eyes at him. "A fling, it was a fling. That's what we're telling everyone."

Oh, and that's not suspicious at all. "You did at least sleep with him, right?" Alexei presses. "You were actually conducting a relationship? This isn't something that you're spreading around Vorbarr Sultana so that when you do end up with, oh, I don't even care to speculate who, but he better be appropriate to your rank or every Vortala from here to the Keroslav Valley will shout, but whoever he is, you better not have been spreading this around about you and a Vorkosigan just to make everyone sigh in relief over who you actually did choose to conduct yourself in public with."

"I hope you're better at this when you're actually conducting real interrogations," Maxim sighs. "That was terrible."

"I'll go ask Piotr," Alexei threatens.

"Yes, we were... conducting ourselves in public," Maxim says. "Our behavior in private isn't your concern."

"Just so long as there was something in private," Alexei says. "Because if you and Piotr were having some kind of sham scandalous relationship, I will lose all faith in my department. They're supposed to be better than that."

"You aren't wearing your eyes, so I'm not talking to ImpSec right now," Maxim reminds him. "And... Petya's Petya. If he were more Old Vor, he'd be his grandfather. Take that and think about it."

If they were in private, and real, actual private, ImpSec-proof private, and also if Maxim were drunk, Alexei would give in to the urge to ask if Maxim means that Petya left bastards behind him when he descended from the Dendarii Mountains when the war was over. Because that's the least painful thought he can dredge up from that comparison. Because unlike Maxim, Alexei's in Domestic Affairs and he's well-briefed on all the old rumors, all of them, about the old Count and Emperor Ezar, and Alexei never wants to know what Illyan knows about all of it, or what Negri had known about it, so he is very glad, very, very, glad, that he's too Vor to be Illyan's replacement, because then he might actually have to be completely briefed on it, and that's too horrible to contemplate.

"We had a baba," Maxim continues. "It was very appropriate and Vorish. And so the next time, it won't have to be. I've satisfied the forms, I can move on."

"You are nowhere near cold-blooded enough to say that convincingly," Alexei informs him. "I recommend practice. Or at least stop glancing over at him like he's your Vor lord on a horse and you need him to rescue you from ImpSec. Who played baba? Anyone I know?"

"Lady Alys Vorpatril," Maxim says. "I told you, very appropriate and Vorish and I've satisfied the old Count's faction among the family who are squabbling and trying to make problems by declaring that my reasons for divorce are a scandal large enough to disqualify me from becoming the next Count. No one's going to argue with Piotr Vorkosigan about this."

Oh, so no wonder Maxim's not publicly admitting to sleeping with Petya. Otherwise, he'd've just set himself up to be accused of only doing it to assure himself of Petya's vote. Although this does explain why Alexei had originally found out about this from a political wranglings briefing. Maybe he can ask Lady Alys for details later. In the name of keeping Maxim out of trouble, of course.

Not that there couldn't have been more than one reason for this whole thing between Maxim and Petya. There were probably at least four. What's he thinking? It's Vorbarr Sultana. There were at least five.

"Your marriage may have been arranged," Alexei says in an undertone, "but--"

"I'm just letting people get used to the idea," Maxim says. "I haven't been on the social scene here as much as some others. Unlike you. I've been putting in time in the District--"

"Unlike me," Alexei mutters. But Maxim's in the running to be the next Count. If he didn't spend most of his time in the District, even Istvan's line wouldn't vote for him.

"So right now, in Vorbarr Sultana, I'm the divorced homosexual Vortala Count-wannabe. I'm _not_ Petya. I'm not even Hugo Vorlakial or Eric Voraiken."

"Don't lecture me about building a reputation," Alexei says. "Or you could, I know this is strange, ask for my help. It's like you think I have nothing to do with counter-intelligence."

"I don't want to get ImpSec involved in this," Maxim says, sounding hopeless about ever being believed about it. "More than it already is. It always breeds complications."

"Counter-intelligence lives to gossip," Alexei says. "Well, lives on gossip. But it mostly comes to the same thing."

"And I know you have much more pressing things to listen for, or spread around, than gossip about me," Maxim says.

Which is, well, true. Maxim's not Petya, to take the most extreme example, where ImpSec has to pay very careful attention to what's said about him, because treasonous whispers about him always, always, always, without fail, lead to plots to draft him as a figurehead for some revolution and then try to shove him onto the throne.

And Alexei considers it a credit to Domestic Affairs that it isn't being spread around nearly as widely as it was thirty years ago, even with Petya on planet, even with Gregor unmarried, even with Petya now in the government. Alexei remembers thirty years ago. No matter how it had happened, or why, because the only way to explain how or why it happened is just to point out the facts and then shrug over them helplessly, but thirty years ago, Alexei had been at the Academy and then the riot alarm had sounded, which Alexei hadn't understood at first because there hadn't been any riots the cadets had been called in on since before the Regency began, and then he'd been cursing the luck of everyone who'd already graduated, because there he was, and there half the Academy was, everyone who didn't desert, barricaded inside the campus, not sure which side to fight on, and then Alexei and some friends and some boys he'd never met before had, well, sort of taken over the Academy. And held it against Vordarian's forces until Admiral Vorkosigan came in person to order them to stand down.

And then he'd been sent to ImpSec even though he'd really wanted ship duty like the great admiral. Because Illyan wanted to keep him and his conspirators where he could keep his eyes on them.

It's not that bad, though. He's been back and forth to Komarr a lot, and to Sergyar a few times, too. Wherever the Vor are, ImpSec needs to make sure treason isn't.

"You've been spending too much time with diplomats and other terrible influences," Alexei says. "You've forgotten how to say no."

"No," Maxim says clearly.

Alexei salutes Maxim with his glass and finishes it off. "Thank you. It's a relief to know that Piotr hasn't corrupted you irreparably."

"I want to be a Count's heir," Maxim says. "And hold the proxy and take part in all the political in-fighting and wrangling that goes on. I can win this round of Vortala politics and still be hopelessly unprepared for Vorbarr Sultana politics. I'm going to be corrupted much more than I am now. You're ImpSec, Alexei. Learn to listen through the bullshit."

"Thank you, Maxim. Because, despite appearances, I'm still an Academy cadet. No, not even. I'm still in the preparatory academy and you're trying to sneak up on me during war games." Not that Maxim ever could, but that's ancient history.

"Don't play stupid if you don't want me to take advantage," Maxim shrugs. He switches glasses with Alexei smoothly; Alexei admires his handling. "Finally. I've been waiting for Countess Vorvolk to stop monopolizing Lady Vorreedi's time."

Alexei watches Maxim insert himself into that conversation and then goes and gets himself a new glass before doing what he came here to do in the name of House loyalty.

Finally, after working his way around the room twice (no, just because the Vortalas expect you to put in your time in the District and actually earn it does not mean that the Vortalas are trying to force every other Count to do it the same way, yes, he knows that there are some heirs who were confirmed half a century ago and haven't inherited yet, yes, he thinks that's a waste of everybody's time because someone suitable now may not still be suitable in fifty years, so, no, of course he agrees with House Vortala on this but he doesn't think everyone needs to start doing it, too, although it would certainly make a lot more sense than the way some people currently do it... oh, hello, Count Vormurtos, has Gregor agreed yet to hear your petition to disinherit your nephew?), he manages to pin Petya to a corner.

"What were you doing with my cousin?" Alexei asks.

"What were you doing on Komarr?" Petya returns.

"That's not fair," Alexei says. "I don't have the authority to put you in the need-to-know pool on that." And when he was done, he'd taken the initiative of looking in on General Allegre, who was also involved in something Alexei can't talk about with Petya without Illyan or Gregor's permission first, to ask some pointed questions for his own curiosity. Because Guy Allegre is a much better choice for Petya to be all Vorkosigan over than Alexei's favorite cousin. He's a lot more durable; he's been Komarran Affairs his entire career. Maxim barely put a foot off-planet during his twenty.

And since Petya still cares enough about whatever it is he'd had with Allegre to make sure Allegre found out about Petya's possibly-impending marriage from a friendly ear rather than from a betrothal bulletin or Domestic Affairs gossip, then Alexei figures that's a relationship that could use all the help it can get and he, Colonel Lord Alexei Vortala The Younger, would be happy to help. Anything to finally entangle Petya in some kind of lasting thing, for the good of everyone in Vorbarr Sultana, even excluding poor star struck Maxim. Alexei's particular headache is the social scene, so if Petya finally stops being a blinding light to attract the moths, Alexei would thank him kindly for it.

"When you can tell me what you were doing on Komarr," Petya says unfairly, "I'll tell you what I was doing with your cousin. With his permission first, of course."

"Of course," Alexei grumbles at him.

"If ImpSec wants to know," Petya says, "it knows how to ask. It's not you cornering me at a party and asking me if I stole your next Count's honor."

"You really think he'll be the next Count?" Alexei asks, because the first part of that is completely irrelevant to the matter at hand.

"If you Vortalas can ever learn how to make a decision, yes," Petya says. "I told Maxim. The Council confirmation will go through easily. It's getting there that's going to be the hard part, and I can't help there."

"That's why I'm here," Alexei says. "To show that the Vortalas have made a decision."

"Informal, not binding," Petya waves it away. "When it's your Count's word of honor that his choice has been made, and when he presents it to the Emperor to be officially confirmed, then my part in all this begins."

"How are your vote calculations coming?" Alexei asks.

"Very promisingly, thank you," Petya says. "You will, of course, have to direct any further questions about political maneuvering on Lord Maxim's behalf to Lord Maxim himself."

Why doesn't anyone ever believe that Alexei goes off duty? It's terrible. A man gets a reputation for knowing everything of interest on the social scene and then when he's on the social scene for his own purposes, no one believes a word of it.

"Certainly, Lord Vorkosigan," Alexei says anyway.

Petya gives Alexei a horrible mockery of an analyst's salute and wanders away to start badgering the Vorvolks. Alexei checks the cuffs of his House uniform and hopes that the Vortalas finally actually have come to an agreement. There's only so much playing an active role in the social scene that he can stand. This... this _itches_.

Alexei brushes his fingers over his collar and hears Maxim laugh softly from across the room. He doesn't look away fast enough that Alexei can't glare at him for it, though.


End file.
